Barnacle cover modifies foraging behaviour of the intertidal limpetPatella vulgata

Abstract

Limpets and barnacles are important components of intertidal assemblages worldwide. This study examines the effects of barnacles on the foraging behaviour of the limpet Patella vulgata, which is the main algal grazer in the North-west Atlantic. The behaviour of limpets on a vertical seawall on the Isle of Man (UK) was investigated using autonomous radio-telemetry, comparing their activity patterns on plots characterized by dense barnacle cover and plots from which the barnacles had been removed. Limpet behaviour was investigated at mid-shore level, but two different elevations were considered. This experiment revealed a significant effect of barnacle cover on the activity of P. vulgata. Limpets on smooth surfaces spent a greater proportion of total time active than did limpets on barnacles. Movement activity was also greater in areas that were lower down in the tidal range. In general, limpets were either predominantly active during diurnal high or nocturnal low tides and always avoided nocturnal high tides. Individuals on barnacles at the higher elevation concentrated their activity during nocturnal low water. All the other groups of limpets (smooth surfaces on the upper level and all individuals on the lower shore) had more excursions centred around daylight hours with an equal distribution of activity between periods of low and high water. Inter-individual variability was, however, pronounced.

Rocky shores as tractable test systems for experimental ecology

“…The importance of grazing interactions in limiting the lower limit of kelp in the shallow subtidal zone was shown on the ruined breakwater in Port Erin, Isle Of Man (Jones & Kain, 1967). Interactions between barnacles and limpets (Hawkins & Hartnoll, 1982 b ; Santini et al ., 2019) and settlement patterns of barnacles in relation to wind patterns (Hawkins & Hartnoll, 1982 a ) were all investigated on the same Raglan Pier in Port Erin. The simplicity of replicated artificial shore parallel breakwaters at Elmer in Sussex, UK, enabled the respective roles of grazing by limpets in preventing establishment of fucoid algae and wave action reducing persistence of older plants to be disentangled by a combination of field experiments and modelling (Jonsson et al ., 2006).…”

Complex interplays between limpets and alien species in South Africa: multispecies interactions, zonation and size effects

“…Our results show that the barnacle B. glandula has negative effects on S. granularis but positive effects on littorinids. There are many other examples of negative barnacle-limpet interactions (Dayton, 1971;Branch, 1976;Hawkins, 1983;Dungan, 1986;Santini et al, 2019;Ellrich et al, 2020), but in New South Wales, Creese (1982) showed that a small species of limpet, Patelloida latistrigata, benefits from the presence of barnacles that provide a refuge from competition with a larger species of limpet, Cellana tramoserica, which is excluded because it cannot move over and feed effectively on barnacles. Again, size matters.…”

Extraction and Characterization of Protein Concentrates from Limpets (Patella vulgata) and Peptide Release Following Gastrointestinal Digestion

“…Limpets [genus Patella (Gastropoda: Patellidae)] are edible marine molluscs found in high amounts in the northern European and Mediterranean coasts. − Patella vulgata is one of the main limpet species (along with Patella ulyssiponensis) found on the Irish coast. − Marine organisms such as molluscs are consumed in many countries as part of the daily diet and are rich in protein and nitrogenous components. − These marine-derived proteins have a balanced amino acid (AA) profile with a high content of essential AAs (EAAs) along with high digestibility. Determination of the protein digestibility-corrected AA score (PDCAAS) has been employed for the evaluation of protein quality; however, to date, only a limited number of reports exist on the protein digestibility of molluscs, , and, to our knowledge, no data on limpet protein has yet been reported.…”